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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26853994">The Party</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazoobard/pseuds/kazoobard'>kazoobard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Brad x Rory Mythic Quest Universe [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:02:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26853994</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazoobard/pseuds/kazoobard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Pride month, and Brad wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, he works at Mythic Quest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brad Bakshi x Original Male Character (mention)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Brad x Rory Mythic Quest Universe [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964773</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mood in the staff meeting is lethargic. David is droning on about his business bullshit, and everyone is either bored to tears or, in Poppy’s case, driven to sleep. Brad leans forward to look in horror at the thin trail of spit down her chin, and is startled to attention by David loudly clearing his throat.</p><p>	“So!” David says, perking up. “It is now June, which as you know, is…” He pauses, waiting for a response. Nobody offers one. “…Pride month.”</p><p>	Ian squints. “Okay.”</p><p>	David points around vaguely, poorly attempting to gather some enthusiasm. “Which means we should celebrate! Right?”</p><p>	“Um…” Brad leans back in his chair, folding one leg over the other. “Why?”</p><p>	“Well, because you’re… gay, so… we should do something for you.”</p><p>	“The testers are lesbians. Why not do something for them?”</p><p>	“Well, they don’t count.”</p><p>	Ian raises his eyebrows.</p><p>	“No— not because they’re lesbians. it’s because they’re testers.” David glances around, backpedaling. “No. that’s not what I— this is about Brad.”</p><p>	“Why is this about me?” Brad scoffs.</p><p>	“Because you’re…" He clears his throat. "...gay, and we haven’t been doing a good job supporting you.”</p><p>	“Are you gonna raise my pay?”</p><p>	“Uh… no, but we will be showing support in every way we can! Ev-every way that’s not monetary.”</p><p>	Brad sighs. “I’m leaving.”</p><p>	“No! No, no you’re not, because we’re supporting you! Right, everyone? Right?”</p><p>	Everyone groans in halfhearted agreement.</p><p>	“What are you gonna do, then? Parade? Male stripper? Because—“</p><p>	David clears his throat. “No, uh, Carol said we’re not allowed to do that. We will be having…” He gives a drumroll on the desk. “A party! A gay party. Well, no— a support party.”</p><p>	Poppy’s still wiping sleep from her eyes. “That sounds like an intervention.”</p><p>	“No, it’s a— it’s a support party!” David repeats, attempting again to rouse excitement.</p><p>	Ian shakes his head. “That’s what we did for my cousin after he got hooked on pills.”</p><p>	Brad sighs, lacing his fingers together. “David. You want to be an ally, and I respect that.”</p><p>	David beams. “Thank you.”</p><p>	“But your efforts are futile. I mean, how can you really be an ally if you don’t truly understand the gay experience?”</p><p>	David nods, fully entranced. Brad leans forward in his chair, his eyes narrowing. “You need to fuck a man.”</p><p>	Poppy’s eyes go wide, and Ian snorts.</p><p>	David sucks in his cheeks, avoiding eye contact. “Okay. Meeting adjourned.”</p><p>——————</p><p>	“I just think it’s a little ridiculous that C.W. thinks I’m a guy.”</p><p>	Dana snorts, quirking an eyebrow toward Rachel. “The man carries an award from the ‘70s around with him everywhere, you can’t blame him for being—”</p><p>	The testing room door bursts open, and their heads snap toward the doorway. Jo stands there, arms crossed. “Stop whatever bullshit you’re doing, you’re helping me plan Brad’s party.”</p><p>	Rachel sets down her controller. “Why is Brad getting a party? And why do we have to help?”</p><p>	“He’s gay. And you guys don’t do anything.”</p><p>	“We do stuff.”</p><p>	“No, you don’t.”</p><p>	“Wait, I’m confused,” Dana says, “Brad is getting a party because he’s gay? We’re gay, do we get a party?”</p><p>	“No. And you’re helping. David said so.”</p><p>	Rachel groans. “We don’t want to. Leave us alone, Jo.”</p><p>	Dana turns to Rachel. “I want to. It could be a good bonding experience with Brad.”</p><p>	“You wanna bond with Brad?”</p><p>	“I’m sure he’s not all bad. We can find some solidarity, find the human in him.” Dana smiles. “Will you do this with me?”</p><p>	Rachel nods, immediately melting. “Okay. Okay, yeah, we can do that.”</p><p>	“What the hell is solidarity?” Jo asks.</p><p>	“Y'know, like, we’re gay, he’s gay. Could help us connect with him.”</p><p>	Jo glances toward the ground, her face pensive. “Hm. Weird.”</p><p>——————</p><p>	Ian stares out his office window, hands folded behind his back. He lets out a loud sigh every so often that Poppy purposefully ignores, staring intently at her laptop as she types.</p><p>	“What do you think of Brad’s party?”</p><p>	Poppy looks up momentarily, surprised that Ian’s tantrum started off so calm. And subtle. She’s not looking forward to unraveling and eventually reigning in his emotions. She’s not sure how to respond, so she chooses the truth. “Don’t care. Doesn’t matter. David shouldn’t be making a big deal about it. I mean, it’s not like when I—”</p><p>	Ian turns, eyes wide, and Poppy knows she’s made a mistake. She hunches further over her laptop as Ian rounds in on her. “When you what? When you realized?”</p><p>	“Ian, stop—”</p><p>	“What did you realize? Are you a lesbian, Pop? Do you want us to add you to the party?”</p><p>	“No, I don’t— Brad didn’t even want the party! And I’m not a lesbian.” She goes back to typing. Ian is silent for too long. She looks up slowly to see Ian staring at her, his eyes large and pleading.</p><p>	Poppy sighs. “It’s called bisexual. Now can we please stop talking about this—”</p><p>	“You’re bisexual? I’m bisexual!”</p><p>	“Can I please— I just wanna go back to work.”</p><p>	“No, Pop, this is so exciting! We can talk about this, it’s fun!”</p><p>	“Ian. I don’t wanna talk about your sex life.”</p><p>	“No, not that. We should come out at Brad’s party!”</p><p>	“Ian, I don’t need to come out.”</p><p>	“Yes, you do! It’ll be such a weight off your shoulders!”</p><p>	“It really seems like you need to come out.”</p><p>	“Poppy… please?”</p><p>	Poppy groans, unable to ignore Ian. “I don’t care who knows, I just don’t want to talk about this. And I don’t want to make a big deal out of coming out. I’ll be there to support you, though, okay?”</p><p>	Ian smiles. “Thanks, Pop.”</p><p>	“Yeah, whatever,” Poppy grumbles.</p><p>——————</p><p>	Brad sits in his desk chair, stirring his tea with a spoon. A soft knock makes him look up. “Come in.”</p><p>	Jo enters, and Brad rolls his eyes. “What do you want?”</p><p>	“I just wanted to tell you that, um, the in-game casino is going well.”</p><p>	“Okay.” Brad looks back down at his tea. Jo doesn't move. “What are you still doing here?”</p><p>	“I’m a lesbian.”</p><p>	“Okay.”</p><p>	“Love girls. Women. Love women. And boobs.”</p><p>	“Okay. Goodbye.”</p><p>	“Goodbye.” Jo turns to leave.</p><p>	“Wait.” Brad holds up a hand, and Jo stops. “Why are you telling me this?”</p><p>	“Because I just want you to know that those tester girls aren’t the only gay options for you.”</p><p>	Brad squints. “Elaborate.”</p><p>	“They don’t understand. They want to connect with you over your sexuality, but they don’t understand what’s really important. Power.”</p><p>	Brad hums under his breath, looking Jo up and down. His eyes tear away from Jo as Rachel pokes her head in. “Hiii!”</p><p>	“Get out.”</p><p>	“Okay.”</p><p>	Rachel backs out of the room, and Jo grins.</p><p>——————</p><p>	Brad’s bookbag is digging into his shoulder and bouncing uncomfortably against his thigh, but he doesn’t move it. He can take it off when he gets to his office. Show no weakness.</p><p>	Brad glances to his right as he passes by one of the testers. She waves at him, and he avoids eye contact. He turns frontward again, and jumps about a foot in the air. “Shit!”</p><p>	“Brad, I’m so glad you’re here!” David says, grabbing his shoulders.</p><p>	Brad hunches his shoulders but is unable to wiggle away. “Okay, let’s not do that—”</p><p>	“You have helped me realize something.”</p><p>	“You don’t have to—”</p><p>	“I didn’t understand the gay experience. I didn’t. How could I be a good ally? I couldn’t. because I didn’t understand.”</p><p>	“What the hell are you talking about?”</p><p>	“I slept with a man last night.”</p><p>	Brad jumps back. “Wh— you did? I told you to do that yesterday. Wow, you wasted… no time with that.”</p><p>	“And I realized something. I need to try harder. I need to work twice as hard to be a good ally.”</p><p>	“But—”</p><p>	“Because I am straight. I am straight, and—“</p><p>	“You slept with a man. That seems pretty gay.”</p><p>	“But it’s not, though. It was to enlighten myself.”</p><p>	“You fully had sex with a man and now you’re squeezing my shoulders… way too hard.”</p><p>	“And now I know. I have to make your party twice as gay.”</p><p>	“No.”</p><p>	“Yes.”</p><p>	“No, don’t—”</p><p>	David is already running away. Brad groans. “I am in hell.”</p><p>——————</p><p>	Rachel looks out the testing room window, scowling. “I know we could get through to Brad if he’d just let us.”</p><p>	Dana takes off her headphones. “Maybe we should say something at the party. Like, approach him and talk about how cool it is to have a gay boss and how he’s such an inspiration even though he’s…”</p><p>	“Fucking insane?”</p><p>	“That’s a little far.”</p><p>	“He lost us thousands of dollars in a lawsuit so that he could have a more rewarding sex life.”</p><p>	There’s a knock on the window, and they both turn. Jo stands outside, staring at them. Dana and Rachel both freeze, waiting for her to say something or move. She doesn’t.</p><p>	Rachel is the first to speak, unable to tear her eyes away from Jo. “Is she just fucking staring at us?”</p><p>	“That is fucking bone chilling.”</p><p>——————</p><p>	The party is, more than anything, painful on the eyes. Rainbow is everywhere— the drink station, every desk, every chair. Rainbow balloons invade every corner, and the lackluster snacks are arranged by color. It’s Brad’s worst nightmare.</p><p>	He nurses his Solo cup of wine— a bizarre choice by David— and glowers, leaning against a wall.</p><p>	David approaches him, a proud grin spread across his face. “Hey, guy! Having fun?”</p><p>	“Yeah, I’m having a great time. This is the perfect amount of obnoxious, and I love having to drink wine at a work party in the middle of the day.”</p><p>	David’s smile is immobile. Brad sips his wine, turning away. He makes eye contact with Dana, and mumbles under his breath, “Fuck.”</p><p>	Dana bounces up, Rachel in tow, and stand way too close to him. “Hey, Brad! We just wanted to say—”</p><p>	“Everyone, listen up!” Ian announces from the balcony. Dana swears under her breath, but turns to look at him.</p><p>	Ian grins, holding his battle ax like a comfort blanket. “I have an announcement to make!” He gestures toward Brad. “Bakshi is not the only gay here.”</p><p>	“Oh, God,” Brad mumbles.</p><p>	“I am bisexual,” Ian says, brandishing his arms wide, “which means that not only can I appreciate the sensual curves of a woman… but also the sculpted abs of men other than myself. Now!” He gestures too hard, and his ax lodges into the wall behind him. “Oh, shit. It’s fine. Anyway! This was my show of support for Brad.”</p><p>	Brad downs the rest of his drink.</p><p>	“If anyone else is gay, I encourage you now to step forward.” Ian is staring at Poppy very intensely, and she shakes her head. Brad makes a mental note.</p><p>	“Do not do that!” Carol shouts at the same moment the testers cheer. Carol points to them. “No! Nobody do that!”</p><p>	Jo stands up. “I’m not a lesbian!”</p><p>	“Okay,” Carol says, taking a deep breath, “Thank you, Jo, but we don’t need to—”</p><p>	“I lied about being a lesbian to get close to Brad.” She turns to Brad, almost apologetic. “I’m addicted to power.”</p><p>	Brad tilts his head. “You’re amazing.”</p><p>	Jo turns to the testers and makes a face. David claps Brad’s shoulder, making him flinch. “God. What?”</p><p>	“This is a pretty great party, huh?”</p><p>	Brad breathes in deep through his nose. “David. I am going to go home. And i am going to say hello to my husband. And I am going to ask him to bash me over the head.”</p><p>	“Okay. Good talk. Good party?”</p><p>	“Great party.”</p><p>	David gives a thumbs up. “Awesome.”</p>
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